Kettler Roofing

Roof Job from Start to Finish

1. Getting a Bid

The first step in replacing your roof is to get an estimate from us on
the cost of doing so.  As soon as you call us and give us your name
and address, we will dispatch an estimator out to your house to
measure the roof, and check out the flashings, ventilation, and to
look for other problems.  There does not need to be anyone home for
this process, because we do not need to get inside, and it is not
necessary to know where your roof has been leaking, as the new roof
should eliminate all previous problems.  As soon as we have completed
our estimate, we will mail you a written proposal, complete with
details and alternate bids for reasonable upgrades that will detail
what we propose to do and the costs involved.  This bid will include
the total amount you will be expected to pay, with two exceptions.
Those will be explained in the next section.

2. Contract Details

The contract proposal that we mail you will contain the brand and
style of shingles we propose to use and the warranty period, along
with specifications for the felt, flashings, and any extra items which
might need to be included.  If you have not specifically told us 
during our proposal, we normally propose to replace your roof with 
one of the same style and warranty as the one you currently have.  In 
addition, some of the extra items will be things that we both anticipate, 
such as adding skylights, additional ventilation, or a flat roof addition, and 
these items will be included in the base bid.  However, there are two possible 
sources of unanticipated extra costs.  The first of these is rotten wood.  It is
not unusual for us to discover areas of rot after the roof has been
removed.  These areas must be repaired, and since they have not been
included in the base bid, and it is impossible to anticipate what the
cost might be ahead of time, we charge for these items on a
cost/materials basis.  Our current rate is cost of materials plus 10%
and $35.00 per hour.  The second type of item that can lead to
additional costs, is the replacement of large shop fabricated
flashings which do not normally need to be replaced, but are
discovered to have rusted through after the roofing job has begun. 
Typically, the only flashing this is applies to is the chimney
flashing.  Our proposal typically highlights a roofing product of the
same style and warranty period of your current roof.  In addition to
that, we normally provide one or two options for upgrading to higher
quality products

3. Signing a Contract and Choosing a Color

After you have had a chance to review our proposal, and discuss with
us any changes, additions, or alternatives that interest you, the next
step will be choosing a color.  We will deliver a sample board to you
showing swatches of all the available colors.  In some cases,
homeowners may find it difficult to decide based on these small
samples.  In those cases, we ask you to narrow it down to two or three
options, and we will provide a list of jobs we have done in each color
so that you may drive by these houses and see what they look like on
someone else's roof.  One thing we will not do is to choose your color
for you.  Color preference is totally subjective and a personal issue.
 All the colors are the same to us, but you must live with your choice
for the next several years.

4. Material Delivery

After the color has been chosen, the materials will be ordered and
delivered to your house a day or two before we intend to start your
roof replacement.  The delivery truck will be equipped with a large
truck-mounted conveyer belt, which will be used to place all the job
materials on the roof of your house.  We have the materials delivered
ahead of time to prevent delivery foul-ups from occurring.  There is
nothing worse than for us to tear you roof off, and then be told by
our supplier that he cannot get the materials out as promised!  We
have them place on the roof primarily because that's where we want
them.  If they are ground dropped, it means that several thousand
pounds of material must be carried up a ladder, and although having
them on the roof before we tear off the old roof involves a certain
amount of inconvenience, it is still much easier than having to load
the roof ourselves.  In addition, while thieves have often been know
to steal materials from a job site when the materials are on the
ground, having the goods on the roof normally makes it too difficult
for them.

5. The Job Itself

The first step in replacing your roof is to remove the old one. 
Although this process generates a humongous pile of trash, our goal is
to get all of it into our trash truck and none of it into your yard. 
Although we are seldom 100% successful, you will be amazed at how
close we come.  On normal pitched roofs, we are usually able to carry
the trash across the roof and drop it straight into the trash truck. 
Only on unusually steep jobs are we required to throw the trash off
onto the ground.  In this case, we will always spread out large tarps
to catch the debris.  After we have completed the tear-off, the
grounds will be scoured to pick up and remove all the generated trash.
 It is at this point that we will replace any rotten wood decking if
needed.  After the job is totally complete, we will go over all the
grounds with a large magnet in order to make sure that no nails or
other sharp objects have been left behind.

Once the tear-off is complete, the roof will be dried-in with felt
paper.  This is felt paper that has been impregnated with asphalt, and
its main purpose is to serve as a temporary dry sheet until the
re-shingling of the roof is complete.  This felt paper comes in a
variety of weights.  #15 felt is most often used for shingle
applications while #30 felt is most often used for metal roofs,
although sometimes #30 felt will be used with shingles if the roof has
a very low pitch.  After the felting is complete, all necessary
flashings are replaced.  Last, but not least, all of the new shingles
will be nailed on.

Ideally, the entire job will take just one day.  However, it is not
uncommon, especially on large jobs, for the job to run over into a
second day.  In no case, however, will your house be left exposed to
the elements over night.  There will always be felt paper covering any
uncompleted portions of your roof, and we will take any and all other
necessary steps to protect both you and us in case of rain during the
night.

6. Payment

After the job is complete, we will bill you.  This gives you several
days to inspect the job before you pay us.  We never ask for any 
money up front, so you don't have to pay a cent until you have seen
our finished product.  However, we expect to be paid within a few days
of your receiving the bill.  Bills not paid within 30 days are subject
to interest.




		Roof Job from Start to Finish 1. Getting a Bid The first step in replacing your roof is to get an estimate from us on the cost of doing so. As soon as you call us and give us your name and address, we will dispatch an estimator out to your house to measure the roof, and check out the flashings, ventilation, and to look for other problems. There does not need to be anyone home for this process, because we do not need to get inside, and it is not necessary to know where your roof has been leaking, as the new roof should eliminate all previous problems. As soon as we have completed our estimate, we will mail you a written proposal, complete with details and alternate bids for reasonable upgrades that will detail what we propose to do and the costs involved. This bid will include the total amount you will be expected to pay, with two exceptions. Those will be explained in the next section. 2. Contract Details The contract proposal that we mail you will contain the brand and style of shingles we propose to use and the warranty period, along with specifications for the felt, flashings, and any extra items which might need to be included. If you have not specifically told us during our proposal, we normally propose to replace your roof with one of the same style and warranty as the one you currently have. In addition, some of the extra items will be things that we both anticipate, such as adding skylights, additional ventilation, or a flat roof addition, and these items will be included in the base bid. However, there are two possible sources of unanticipated extra costs. The first of these is rotten wood. It is not unusual for us to discover areas of rot after the roof has been removed. These areas must be repaired, and since they have not been included in the base bid, and it is impossible to anticipate what the cost might be ahead of time, we charge for these items on a cost/materials basis. Our current rate is cost of materials plus 10% and $35.00 per hour. The second type of item that can lead to additional costs, is the replacement of large shop fabricated flashings which do not normally need to be replaced, but are discovered to have rusted through after the roofing job has begun. Typically, the only flashing this is applies to is the chimney flashing. Our proposal typically highlights a roofing product of the same style and warranty period of your current roof. In addition to that, we normally provide one or two options for upgrading to higher quality products 3. Signing a Contract and Choosing a Color After you have had a chance to review our proposal, and discuss with us any changes, additions, or alternatives that interest you, the next step will be choosing a color. We will deliver a sample board to you showing swatches of all the available colors. In some cases, homeowners may find it difficult to decide based on these small samples. In those cases, we ask you to narrow it down to two or three options, and we will provide a list of jobs we have done in each color so that you may drive by these houses and see what they look like on someone else's roof. One thing we will not do is to choose your color for you. Color preference is totally subjective and a personal issue. All the colors are the same to us, but you must live with your choice for the next several years. 4. Material Delivery After the color has been chosen, the materials will be ordered and delivered to your house a day or two before we intend to start your roof replacement. The delivery truck will be equipped with a large truck-mounted conveyer belt, which will be used to place all the job materials on the roof of your house. We have the materials delivered ahead of time to prevent delivery foul-ups from occurring. There is nothing worse than for us to tear you roof off, and then be told by our supplier that he cannot get the materials out as promised! We have them place on the roof primarily because that's where we want them. If they are ground dropped, it means that several thousand pounds of material must be carried up a ladder, and although having them on the roof before we tear off the old roof involves a certain amount of inconvenience, it is still much easier than having to load the roof ourselves. In addition, while thieves have often been know to steal materials from a job site when the materials are on the ground, having the goods on the roof normally makes it too difficult for them. 5. The Job Itself The first step in replacing your roof is to remove the old one. Although this process generates a humongous pile of trash, our goal is to get all of it into our trash truck and none of it into your yard. Although we are seldom 100% successful, you will be amazed at how close we come. On normal pitched roofs, we are usually able to carry the trash across the roof and drop it straight into the trash truck. Only on unusually steep jobs are we required to throw the trash off onto the ground. In this case, we will always spread out large tarps to catch the debris. After we have completed the tear-off, the grounds will be scoured to pick up and remove all the generated trash. It is at this point that we will replace any rotten wood decking if needed. After the job is totally complete, we will go over all the grounds with a large magnet in order to make sure that no nails or other sharp objects have been left behind. Once the tear-off is complete, the roof will be dried-in with felt paper. This is felt paper that has been impregnated with asphalt, and its main purpose is to serve as a temporary dry sheet until the re-shingling of the roof is complete. This felt paper comes in a variety of weights. #15 felt is most often used for shingle applications while #30 felt is most often used for metal roofs, although sometimes #30 felt will be used with shingles if the roof has a very low pitch. After the felting is complete, all necessary flashings are replaced. Last, but not least, all of the new shingles will be nailed on. Ideally, the entire job will take just one day. However, it is not uncommon, especially on large jobs, for the job to run over into a second day. In no case, however, will your house be left exposed to the elements over night. There will always be felt paper covering any uncompleted portions of your roof, and we will take any and all other necessary steps to protect both you and us in case of rain during the night. 6. Payment After the job is complete, we will bill you. This gives you several days to inspect the job before you pay us. We never ask for any money up front, so you don't have to pay a cent until you have seen our finished product. However, we expect to be paid within a few days of your receiving the bill. Bills not paid within 30 days are subject to interest.